Mill



R. R. NOLEN.

MILL.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 17, 1918.

Patented Aug. 10, 1920.

3 SHEETSSHEET I.

INVENTOR.

W1 '1 ESSEX? .R/Vo Zen R. R. NOLEN.

MILL.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 17, 1918.

Patented Aug. 10, 1920.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

e a z WITNESSES.-

A TTORNEI.

R. R. NOLEN.

MILL.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 17. 1918.

Patented Aug. 10, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

I N VENTOR.

ROBERT RUFUS NOLEN, OF DALLAS, TEXAS.

MILL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 10, 1920.

Application filed June 17, 1918. Serial No. 240,508.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Rosnnr R. NOLEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dallas, in the county of Dallas and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mills, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to mills for grinding cottonseed, flax seed, soy bean, castor bean, copra, .peanuts, or the like, while not neces sarily restricted to this use.

An important object of the invention is to provide a mill of the above mentioned character, having adjustable means to permit the yielding action of one roll with relation to the other companion roll upon the passage of a solid particle of foreign matter therebetween. 1

A further object of the invention is to provide means for simultaneously shifting all of the movable rolls away from the stationary rolls, which means may be operated in a highly convenient and expeditious manner.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a central vertical sectional View through apparatus embodyingmy 1nvention, parts being shown in elevation,

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same, parts being shown in section, and the driving pulleys omitted,

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the mill, parts being shown in section,

Fig. 4 is a detail section taken on line ld of Fig. 2,

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of an eccentric,

Fig. 6 is a detail transverse section through a cant board,

' Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view of driving means for one set of rolls, and

Fig. 7 is a similar view of driving means for the other set of rolls.

Fig. 8 is a detailed perspective view of a portion of the mounting of the adjustable roll.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 10 designates the main frame or body portion of the mill. This frame is preferably formed in open frame sections 11,12 and 13, having at their ends flanges 14:, bolted together, as shown at Secured to the uppermost frame section 11 is a hopper casing 16, as shown at 17. The lowermost casing section 13 is provided at its lower end with a base flange 18, adapted to be bolted or rigidly secured to foundation. Each frame section 11 has i s sides closed by plates 19, attached thereto by means of screws 20 or the like. The end side plates 19, as shown in Fig. 1, are provided with peep-holes 21, while the front side plates 19, as shown in Fig. 3, are provided with ventilating openings, covered by wire gauze 22 or the like. Hinged doors 19, are provided upon the opposite sides of the frame, to afiord access thereto.

Upon its opposite ends, the frame 10 is provided with stationary bearings 23, shown more clearly in F ig. 3, for the reception of stub-shafts 24, which are cylindrical, and are adapted to be turned within these bearings and be clamped therein, by bolts 25. At their outer ends the stub-shafts 24 have extensions 26, which are square in cross section whereby they may be conveniently turned. The stub-shafts 24 carry eccentrics 27, as shown. The numeral 28 designates adjustable supporting arms, the lower ends of which are provided with cylindrical openings 29, receiving the eccentrics 27. It is thus apparent that when the stub-shafts 2a are turned, the arms 28 will be raised and lowered.

Between their ends, the arms 28 are equipped with ball bearings 30, of any well lrnown or preferred construction, for the reception of shafts 31. carrying adjustable rolls 32. The adjustable rolls 32 are arranged opposite and in coacting relation with nonadjustable rolls 33, carried by shafts 34, journaled in stationary ball bearings 35, of any well known or preferred type.

The rolls 32 and 33 may have their peripheries smooth, as shown, or corrugated or rough, as be found advantageous.

The adjustble rolls 32 are yieldingly moved toward the nonadjustable rolls 33 by means to be now described. This yielding means embodies a hollow head or shell 35, preferably formed integral with the upper end of each arm 28. Having screw-threaded engagement within the end of this shell is a screw 36, carrying a hand wheel 37 A second hand wheel 38 is screw-threaded upon the screw 36, and serves as a jam nut. Screw-threaded into the inner end of the shell is tubular spring housing 39 receiving a compressible coil spring 40. This coil spring has one end in engagement with the closed'end of the housing 39 while its opposite end engages a plunger 41 having a tubular extension 42. The screw 36 is suitably connected with the plunger 41, to turn it and effect its longitudinal movement. tending through an opening in the head of the housing 39 is a pitman or link 43 having screw-threaded engagement within the bore 44 of the tubular extension 42. The threads of the pitman 43 are of the same pitch and direction as the threads of the screw 36. From the foregoing description it is obvious that by turning the hand wheel 37 the plunger 42 will be longitudinally adj usted with relation to the housing 39, thereby regulating or adjustingthe tension of the coil spring therein. 6 4

As stated, the screw 36 is connected with the plunger 41 to effect longitudinal movement of the plunger. It is necessary, how ever, that the screw be movable with re- 1 spect to the plunger in order that it may freely move with the swinging arm 28 when the rolls are moved apart by material passing through the machine. This result .is

obtained by providing a slot 360 '(see Fig. 8) in the end of the screw which is adapted to engage a transverse rod 370 carried on the headof the plunger and spaced therefrom by supports 380. lVhen the screw is moved inwardly, the slot 360 receives the transverse bar 370 to permit adjustment of the plunger and thus adjust the pressure between the rolls but the screw may readily move outwardly with the hollow head 35,

the swinging arm 28, and associated parts I as. the cranks ineach set are .pivotally conwhen necessary;

There are two pitmen 43 in connection with each pair of arms 23, as is obvious from Fig. 3, and'these pitmen are provided fat their .rear ends with heads 45, having circular openings 46 formed therein, receiving eccentrics 47, carried by stub-shafts 48,

pivoted to stationary brackets 49, which are fixed to the casing 10. The stub-shafts 48 are rigidly secured to the cams 46 and have cranks 50 rigidly secured to the stub-shafts There are two sets of these cranks and nected' by means of links 51, as shown at 52. The inner. setof links 50 are elongated and are connected by a transverse rod 53, serving as a handle to simultaneously swing all of the links. Then the cranks 50 are swung upwardly, itis obviousthat the adjustable rolls are shifted away from the nonadjustable rolls.

I provide adjustable stops to limit the inward movement of the arms 28, including be swung to closed and open positions. 'is obvious that the cant boards cause the ranged to contact with the arms 23. The

bolts carry jam nuts 56, as shown. These bolts and associated elements serve to positively prevent the jamming of the rolls together, by an improper operation of the hand wheel 37.

The numeral 57 designates planing plates or strips arranged to slidably contact with the opposite ends of the two sets of rolls 32 and 33, to prevent the accumulation of material upon the ends thereof, which might interfere with the proper operation of the rolls. These planing plates or strips have circular openings 58 to receive shafts 34 and elongated openings 59 to receive the adjustable shafts 31, these openings being also formed through the side plates 19.

To prevent the accumulation of material upon the peripheries of the rolls, I arrange beneath each pair thereof a pair of vertically adjustable scrapers 60, carried within stationary supports. 61, which are U-shaped in cross-section, as shown. These supports are attached to the sides of the frame 10. Thumb nuts 62, serve, to vertically adjust the scrapers 60;

The hopper casing 16 contains a rotatable feed wheel 63, which is rigidly secured to a shaft 64. This shaft has a pulley rotatable thereon, and adapted to be locked thereto by a clutch 66, thrown into action by a lever 67. The feed wheel 63 discharges the material to be ground upon the upper pair of rolls and 33.

Arranged near and above the lower pair of rolls are cant boards 67 (seeFig. 6), each of which is formed in upper and lower sections 69 and 70. The upper and lower sections 69 and 70 are hinged to a stationary strip 71, as shown at 70 and are adapted to It clined frame 72,supported by bars 73, pivoted thereto at their upper ends, as'showlr at 74. The lower ends of these bars are carried within a stationary socket 74, and the bars are adapted to swing in vertical planes, within certain limits. The frame 22 is reciprocated by means ofa pitman 76, pivoted thereto as shown at 7 7, and operated by means of an eccentric 78. Arranged within the upper portion of the frame 72 is a screen or perforated member 79 and the numeral 80 designates an imperforate hot- CID tom formed of sheet metal or the like. The upper end or extension 81 having the screen 79 projects forwardly beyond the hopper casing 16.

As shown in Figs. 3, 6 and 7, pulleys 31 are provided, two of which are rigidly secured to corresponding ends of the upper and lower shafts 31, and the third pulley to the intermediate shaft 34. The belt 32, has I one side thereof passed about the pulleys 31 as shown. This belt also passes about an idle pulley 38, and a drive pulley 34, as shown.

Arranged at the opposite end of the machine, are pulleys 34*, the upper and lower pulley 3 9 being rigidly secured to corresponding ends of the shafts 34, while the intermediate pulley 34s is rigidly secured to the intermediate shaft 31. A belt 35" is 3- passed about the upper and lower pulleys 345, and has one side thereof arranged ad acent the intermediate pulley 34:. A second belt 36 passes about an idle pulley 37 and about the intermediate pulley 34 and in con-- driven at differential speeds, which have been found to be advantageous. It is to be understood that the form of gearing is to be considered as an illustration of suitable means for driving the rolls, while the invention is in no sense restricted to the precise form of gearing as the same may be widely varied.

The operation of the mill is as follows:

The material to be ground, such as cotton seed or the like, is placed in the frame 72, upon the screen 79, and the frame 72 is reciprocated. The seed drops through the screen 79 to the imperforate bottom 30 and is fed into the hopper casing 16, while any large particles, which cannot go through the screen, discharge from the extension 81 and are therefore not conducted into the hopper casing. The cotton seed or the like is fed by the feed wheel 63 between the upper pair or rolls and the material after being treated by these rolls discharged upon and through the remaining pairs of rolls and finally passes beneath the lowermost pair of rolls and is suitably collected. In the event that a hard particle, such as a nail head or the like, should be passed between the rolls in any pair, the yielding means for theadjustable roll will permit the same to move outwardly, thereby preventing injury to the rolls. When the mill is stopped and it is desired to clean the rolls, or for any other purpose, the adjustable rolls may be quickly separated by throwing the rod 53 upwardly, without necessitating adjusting the screws 36.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

In a mill, the combination with a frame, a non-adjustable roll mounted therein, and an adjustable roll arranged to coact with the non-adjustable roll, of swinging arms carried said frame, said adjustable roll being secured thereto, an eccentric pivotally mounted on the frame adjacent each swinging arm, a housing arranged on each of the swinging arms, a plunger arranged in each of said housings, a coil spring arranged within said housing and engaging said plunger, the free end of said pitman being connected to said plunger, and an adjusting screw arranged in said housing and having a slot in its inner end, a transverse rod carried by said plunger, said rod being adapted to enter said slot to permit adj ustment of the plunger when the screw is turned and to permit separation of the plunger and adjusting screw when the adjustable roll is moved outwardly.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT RUFUS NOLEN.

Witnesses:

A. E. FLOWERS, D. R. JAMESON. 

